Join Marjorie, Miriam and Jennifer as they reflect on routines, rituals and stress over the holiday season and share some of what has worked for their families. (This session was pre-recorded last year in December 2019.) NB: Possible Santa Claus Spoilers You can also check out the video version this podcast on YouTube. The Team Marjorie Lang - https://juniperpines.com/ Miriam Hur - https://wildwoodbeginnings.weebly.com/ Jennifer Gehman - http://connectionsforlearning.ca/ Laurie Connor - https://www.connerorchards.com/

Join us part 2 of our chat with reading specialist Kim Stoddard from Born 2 Read about reading problems, dyslexia, and strategies that parents can use when they and their children are struggling.Links for some of the items referenced in this episode:Orton Gillingham SystemAll About ReadingLogic of EnglishBarton ReadingPride Reading ProgramIs my Child Ready for Barton? Barton Student Screening TestFoundations in Sounds - if a child cannot pass the screening testCheck out our other episodes here.

Join us this episode and the next as we chat with reading specialist Kim Stoddard from Born 2 Read about reading problems, dyslexia, and strategies that parents can use when they and their children are struggling.

Marjorie, jennifer and Miriam are joined today with Crystal Hosea, creator of Legends of the Staff of Musique, a comprehensive music curriculum inspired by the unique environment of home education, and incorporating movement and art ​alongside the voice. Introduction - Crystal explains how Legends of the Staff of Musique explores music in a holistic way through singing and movement. 3:50 - How do you bring singing to your children if you are not a confident singer yourself? 6:33  - If you feel you sing off-key all the time, should you still sing to your children or will you be teaching them to sing off-key? 8:30 - How do you incorporate singing into your day rather than having it just be a lesson time? 15:00 - What is the purpose of learning folksongs versus pop songs and what is, any is your personal preference? Mama Lisa's World Folksongs 24:45 - What if your child of whatever age is resistant to singing and think it's lame or dumb?  The Well Balanced Child Jodi Messler and Living Music 38:30 - How is brain development affected by singing? 43:40 - Why did you incorporate art into your music curriculum, Legends of the Staff Musique  ​Cantiamo Tutti for the early years (in support of the California Fire Foundation) 49:30 - Nature Minutes

We hosted a Live a Q and A! Here are our responses. 2:00 How do you organize everything?16:00 Is creative nonfiction the same as a living book?21:00 Are audiobooks living books? What is a living book?30:00 How do you balance teaching while still preserving "a quiet growing time"?38:00 How do you use KISS grammar?45:00 What can you do in the early years to create rhythm?55:00 Nature minutes

On Part 2 of our discussion about singing and the Solfa, we continue our chat with RaeAnna Goss, singing teacher, homeschool graduate, homeschooling mother, and Charlotte Mason follower, who has created Solfa Sofa, an early years approach for introducing singing in a CM-friendly way. (Part 1 can be found here.) We were also joined by Crystal Hosea of The Legends of the Staff of Musique, but we invited Crystal back for another episode about her own CM approach to combining story and music, which will air in a couple of weeks. Recorded April 15, 2019 Show Notes: Heidi Buschbach0:26 Free Resource IdeasChildren of the Open AirSing SolfaSolfa Sofa 3:00 Paid Resouce IdeasJohn M. Feierabend and Conversational SolfegeThe Kodály Center at Holy Names UniversityOrganization of American Kodály Educators5:02 Should you use a certain set of songs to teach?6:35 Canadian ResourcesKodály Society of CanadaMusic Play with Denise Gagné7:15 Crystal Hosea of The Legends of the Staff of Musique 8:14 Dalcroze and Movement9:01 Miriam's experience with Children of the Open Air10:13 An overview of Solfa as learned up to Form 310:45 What to do in the upper forms11:24 Skills to learn in the lower forms15:34 Ear Training (PNEU article: A Few Remarks on Teaching Music by W.H. Leslie) 17:36 Starting with an older studentArticle referenced by Heidi Buschbach for older beginnersOutschool19:42 Solfedge, Solfa and Solfedgio20:46 Find the joy and protect your children's voices27:07 Fun resources Music K-8 MagazineSmithsonian Folkways Recordings The Kodály Center at Holy Names University Workshops with chapters of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association29:46 Nature minutesCoyote's Guide To Connecting with Nature Book DiscussionFletcher and the Springtime Blossoms

On this 2-part episode, we were joined by RaeAnna Goss, singing teacher, homeschool graduate, homeschooling mother, and Charlotte Mason follower, who has created Solfa Sofa, an early years approach for introducing singing in a CM-friendly way. We were also joined by Crystal Hosea of The Legends of the Staff of Musique, but we invited Crystal back for another episode about her own CM approach to combining story and music, which will air in a couple of weeks. Other ideas and resources mentioned in the podcast: 0:00 Introductions4:25 The Curwin approach, Tonic Solfa, and the Modulator9:50 Difference between Curwen and Kodály, and why Raeanna supports Kodály11:15 What is the Kodály approach?14:30 What would a singing lesson look like in CM's time? 3 minutes of voice training5 minutes of modulator practice3 minutes of sight singing7 minutes of rhythm work4 minutes of ear training8 minutes to practice songs17:58 John M. Feierabend and Conversational Solfege"Children should be tuneful, beatful, and artful."20:28 An overview of the progression of singing through Forms 1 and 224:25 Resouces at Solfa Sofa that can help with early years26:30 Forms 3 (part-songs and rounds), and higher (descants, classical repetoire)28:55 Losing joy in singing and moving more into theory and other music approaches (PNEU article: A Few Remarks on Teaching Music by W.H. Leslie)33:14 Perfect Pitch and Moveable Doe35:05 Shortening Form 1 lessons and help them find their singing voice

Marjorie and Jennifer share with Miriam an overview of Miss Mason's approach to writing and then tell their personal stories of struggle in the difficult area of composition.

Marjorie and Jennifer reflect back on what a CM education looked like for their high school students.